Oral solid packagers are well known as equipment that can produce bar-coded packets of oral solids (including liquids and powders), such as medications, pills, vitamins, candy, nuts, etc. With the bar codes provided on the package, it is possible to track the packets of oral solids dispensed. For instance, if the packager is used to dispense medications, the bar codes are used to track medication so that the hospital knows which patient was given what medication and at what time. This helps reduce the medication error rate in hospital settings.
The newest generation of packagers is referred to as high-speed packagers because they are able to produce bar-coded packages at much higher rates. A high-speed packager can produce unit dosed (one oral solid per package) packages at rates near or above 60 packets a minute or a multi-dose package (more than one oral solid per package) at rates near or above 50 packages a minute.
In a packager, each oral solid is placed in a singulating device that is calibrated specifically for that oral solid. Typically, upon command from the software, an oral solid drops from the singulating device and travels down a common chute or pathway, which leads to the packaging mechanism. The oral solid is then inserted into the package, which is then sealed. Either prior or subsequent to receiving the oral solid, information, including the bar code, is printed on the package.
Using a common pathway to dispense the oral solids causes several problems. Residue from one or more oral solids may remain in the pathway. Subsequent oral solids traveling along the same pathway will be contaminated by the residues from the previous oral solids. This may cause problems when, for instance, an end user receives an oral solid that is contaminated by residue from another oral solid and the end user cannot tolerate the residue. For example, a patient receiving a drug contaminated by the residues of other drugs can have unpredictable reactions for the patient due to allergies or drug interactions. The dust may also be dangerous to the technicians who have to clean the pathways, since daily cleaning is usually a requirement. The same problems occur when the packager delivers liquid medications or medications in powdered form. Oral solids can also jam in common pathways, requiring user intervention. If a jam condition is undetected, an opportunity exists for a package to not receive its intended medication, potentially endangering patients.
A device may be used to deliver each oral solid separately into the packaging mechanism to eliminate any cross-contamination. However, a collection device must often be used to channel the oral solids into a package, which is thereafter sealed by the packaging mechanism. The collection device therefore becomes contaminated with the residues from each oral solid. The collection device may be cleaned, reused or discarded as required, fostering a clean, zero cross-contaminated oral solid delivery path. Thus, there is a need for a device that allows for the delivery of oral solids from multiple, separate points of origin into a single common destination without cross-contamination.